Case and Akina discuss future of Jones Act

From Grassroot Institute, August 29, 2019

Taking a break from his duties in Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Ed Case met this past Monday in Honolulu with Grassroot Institute of Hawaii President Keli'i Akina to discuss the federal Jones Act and other matters of mutual concern.

The Jones Act requires that all ships transporting goods between U.S. ports be U.S.-owned, flagged and built, and crewed mostly by Americans. Case is unusual among Hawaii's congressional delegation for favoring reform of the almost-100-year-old law, which adds to Hawaii's already-high cost of living.

During his first term in Congress, from 2002 to 2007, Case introduced three bills to reform the Jones Act. As reported in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on July 25, 2003, the first of Case's measures would have exempted all noncontiguous U.S. locations from the Jones Act. The second would have exempted just Hawaii. And the third just Hawaii agriculture and livestock.

At a Grassroot Institute event in September, 2018, Case said, "I absolutely do believe that the Jones Act contributes to a high cost of living in Hawaii."

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